Overture Films

Soph lineup shores up newcomer's ambitions

Like Summit Entertainment, newcomer Overture Films — a division of John Malone’s Liberty Media empire — seeks to establish itself as a major player as it moves into its second year of existence.

Overture released five titles between Labor Day 2007 and Labor Day 2008, including one of the few bright spots at the ailing indie box office: “The Visitor,” which has cumed $9.3 million domestically.

Company’s biggest grosser to date was “Mad Money,” which cumed $20.7 million. In August, company missed with “Henry Poole Is Here,” which was picked up at Sundance this year.

Toppers Chris McGurk and Danny Rosett say none of its first films lost money, noting “Mad Money” has done spectacular business on DVD.

The company’s first inhouse production is the Don Cheadle/Guy Pearce political thriller “Traitor,” which opened Aug. 27 and cumed a solid $11.5 million over its first six days of release. This week, Overture opens Jon Avnet’s Al Pacino/Robert De Niro crime drama “Righteous Kill.”

Just before Thanksgiving, Overture is set to release family dramedy “Nothing Like the Holidays,” an inhouse title starring Freddy Rodriguez, John Leguizamo and Debra Messing that the distrib feels will play strong among Hispanic auds, which are wielding increasing power at the B.O.

If Overture has an ace in the hole, it is the company’s access to myriad distribution platforms via sister companies Anchor Bay homevid, pay television Starz Media and Vongo Internet service. “We own all media rights to our films, putting us in a good position strategically,” McGurk says. “We’re in this for the long haul.”